The Elite Power
by Ketia.Volkov
Summary: FULL SUMMARY INSIDE! A new demon has been seen, but this one is nothing like Naraku. It is said it carries a lethal toxin that can either control demons, infect them, or kill them. Panic and chaos starts to take hold of everything. Every demon is out to get the Shikon no Tama, hoping that with the increased strength they can defeat this demon.


**Author's Note:** Wow. Finally done with the first chapter. This was originally an old fanfiction of mine that needed some serious revamping and basically a new plot. I've been working on this thing for what seems like months. Well, technically I also wrote chapters 2 and 3 as well as a decent outline for this thing. Hoping to hit the 50 chapters mark. So far, so good. I have some cool stuff planned for it. Just for a heads up I will be throwing in my own original character into the mix later down the line (plot reasons). If you don't like it, don't read it. Flames are not appreciated.

*** **This story is rated M for the action scences (blood and such). Because FFnet recently updated their policies and whatever this will be the **CLEAN VERSION. **You will find the version containing any lemons on mediaminer (username there is simply 'Ketia').

*** ****Blanket disclaimer:** I, in no way, own InuYasha or any other character created by Rumiko Takahashi (manga) or Viz (anime). I'm super poor, please don't sue me.

* **FULL SUMMARY (Only to be listed on the first chapter) ***

Finally Naraku is defeated and the Shikon No Tama is nearly whole and pure once more. You would think things would start to look up. True, for a while things are looking up. Kagome catches up with school, Sango can let go of the past, Miroku's curse is gone, and inuYasha can begin sorting out his life. But, just as it seems peace would conquer all a newer, greater evil begins to storm the lands.

A new demon has been seen, but this one is nothing like Naraku. It is said it carries a lethal toxin that can either control demons, infect them, or kill them. Panic and chaos starts to take hold of everything. Every demon is out to get the Shikon no Tama, hoping that with the increased strength they can defeat this demon.

New troubles arise when InuYasha takes it upon himself to personally rip this new threat to tiny, little pieces. During their travels in search of this new evil, a new face appears with the knowledge and strength to help them be victorious. Plus, Sesshoumaru is out to kill him as well. However, every great victory comes with a price and what if this time the price is the ultimate sacrifice?

**COUPLE PAIRINGS: InuYasha/Kagome, Sango/Miroku, Shippo/Rin, Sesshoumaru/OC, Kouga/Ayame**

* * *

**Chapter One - This is it  
**_Edited on 2.4.2013_

"_Hiraikotsu!"_

_Ripping and shredding through vile tentacles, the giant boomerang made its way back to the youkai exterminator's hands. This is the moment they had been working and hoping for. Finally, they had found Naraku. It had been three long years since the young miko, Kagome, had fallen through the well and shattered the jewel. Through the hardships and nonstop pursuit of the wicked hanyou, Naraku, they finally managed to locate him. _

"_Insignificant wench!" Naraku hissed as bits and pieces of his shredded tentacles fell around him. Sending an attack towards the youkai exterminator, she managed to block on of them, however, another managed to slice at her arm. Sango hissed in pain and stumbled backwards. As she nearly fell to the ground, a man caught her at the last moment._

"_Sango! Are you alright?" _

_She glanced up into the violet eyes of the man who kept her from falling, "Miroku, I'm fine, he just grazed my arm." Regaining her balance and nodding a quick thank you to him they ran left to join the others from their group._

_The infamous hanyou looked over to his two companions as they approached, barking "Be more careful"! He wielded Tetsusaiga in his right hand and returned his attention to his opponent._

"_InuYasha, they are doing the best they can!" Kagome scowled at him. He gave her one of his favorite "Feh" noises. She rolled her eyes. The girl knew that he didn't mean to be rude right now, everyone was one edge. Before she could realize what was happening, InuYasha yelled at her to move and shoved her back. Kagome fell backwards and panicked as she witnessed a tentacle going through the hanyou's abdomen._

Kagome sat up with a start in her bed roll. A small gap escaped her mouth. The girl blinked her eyes as her heart slowed to its normal pace. Suddently feeling claustrophobic, she walked outside of Kaede's hut, taking refuge on a small hill very near their temporary hut. The stars in the night sky were the first thing she began to focus on, realizing it was only a dream. _'The stars in Sengoku Jidai are so vibrant compared to modern day Tokyo …' _The Miko stared up in wonder as she attempted to forget what was bothering her unconscious mind. It seemed as if forever has passed by since her last decent nights sleep. Usually, her sleep was plagued with visions of the battle that finally ended the wicked hanyou, Naraku's, life.

Slowly, yet steadily, a slight breeze picked up and blew through the forests. Making the grass sway and the leaves dance with the wind's gentle flow. The night air still gave a sense of calmness, though the breeze did send a gentle shiver up the girl's back. It hadn't dawned on her how thin her pajamas were until right in that moment. It wasn't freeze, but she still wished she hadn't forgotten to grab her jacket. _'Always forgetting things.' _She inwardly sighed. Her eyes began to adjust to her dark surroundings. Hugging herself tight as she shivered once again, she found her gaze had returned to the night sky.

Kagome thought of that day again, of the battle. They had all been so badly injured after the long battle. Taking every last bit of strength to defeat Naraku … she had feared the worst would happen. The one to take the brunt of the attacks was InuYasha.

Her heart skipped a small beat.

The memories began to flood back into her mind, quickening her heart beat again as the images plagued her brain.

_InuYasha took yet another blow from his vile tentacle, this one just nicking his side below the last rib. The hanyou took a knee and let a snarl rip from his mouth. Blood was slowly dripping from various parts of his body. His hand grasped his sword until the knuckles turned white._

"_Have you had enough, Hanyou? Your body will not take much more. Just give up now and I will make your death and the death of your friend's quick." He sneered and laughed at the weakened hanyou._

_Kagome ran over to InuYasha and put a hand on his shoulder. "InuYasha please stop! You've already lost too much blood."_

"_I am not going to lose to this bastard again. He has caused too much damage, killed too many innocent people. I ain't gonna let him kill me or anyone else!" He caught her eyes for only a brief moment before looking back at Naraku, "Lets finish this!" He stood with effort and readied the Tetsusaiga in front of him, gripping it with both hands._

_Kagome nodded and felt a surge of courage. Sango and Miroku prepared themselves. This was it. They were going to end it all right here. After four years of fighting and searching, losing loved ones, and making so many sacrifices. This was it. The miko knocked her final arrow._

"_So you've decided to die then, InuYasha? I guess I won't make your death quick after all. I'll absorb your body and the body of that miko slowly until I have every bit of your life force! Say good-bye, InuYasha!" Naraku sent his tentacles flying towards InuYasha and Kagome._

_Sango and Miroku fired their respective weapons, Hiraikotsu and ofudas. "Here we go, Kagome!" InuYasha growled and raised the Tetsusaiga high above his head, "You're dead Naraku!" He brought his sword down as hard as he could and the Kaza no Kize flew forward, tearing through Naraku's flesh. Blast of adamant followed the very powerful blow._

_Kagome saw InuYasha about to release his attack and just for a split second prayed for the strength of her past lives to lend her their power. She pleaded that Kikyou send her spiritual power from the afterlife and give her accuracy. "I will give you my strength, Kagome. Live long and take care of InuYasha." Kagome's eyes opened wide as Kikyou's voice answered her prayers. 'I can do this!' She released her arrow, "Hit the mark!" The arrow merged in the front of InuYasha's attack._

"_What? No! You can not destroy me! I am immortal!" Naraku felt the sacred arrow pierce his chest and hit the nearly complete jewel shard, purifying it. There was a searing pain in his chest, as if it were being lit on fire from the inside out. His eyes widened and his breath stopped. InuYasha's Kaza no Kize paired with the Kongousouha hit him full force. Without the power of the sacred jewel, he felt his body disintegrating. He was not able to form another word or take another breath. It was over before his mind could even fully register the pain from the spears of diamond._

They were all about to celebrate their victory, but then realized InuYasha had sustained serious injuries that were nearly fatally wounding. No matter how many attacks he took, he refused to give up. Kagome felt a small surge of pride as she remembered her hanyou, vowing to protect her no matter the cost. That same surge of pride was followed by a small stab of guilt. Had he died of those wounds, she would never had been able to forgive herself. When the dust settled they knew it was over, but then the sight of InuYasha's falling body made time nearly stop. Naraku's tentacles ahs pierced his body so many times, there was so much blood. Even though the others were injured severely as well, they managed to get him back to Kaede's village with every little time to spare. Kagome was able to close many of his wound with the help of medicinal herbs and her modern medicine. It has been much to close for comfort.

She had feared the worst.

Kagome blinked back unshed tears that coated her eyes as the memories flooded back to her.

_It took all of Kagome and Miroku's strength to carry InuYasha off Kirara and to the front of the hut. Sango had retrieved Shippo and followed. Kirara immediately shrunk to her smaller kitten form and limped slowly with them. It was her last bit of strength that had managed to get InuYasha and the others back. They stumbled into the hut. _

"… _Kaede … please … I-InuYasha." Kagome was only able to stutter out these few words. Kaede turned and gasped greatly at the sight before her. There was a sever amount of blood dripping of InuYasha onto Kagome and pooling on the floor of the hut. "Oh child Bring him over here and lay him down. I will do the best I can."_

_Kagome and Miroku laid the hanyou down. He did not stir, only a slight moan escaped his lips. Kagome sat down next to him and put a hand on his forehead. "He's burning up." Tears latched on her eyes, spilling freely._

_Miroku made his way to Sango and took Shippo from her, placing him on a bed on the other side of the hut. The kitsune looked as if he was sleeping peacefully. His breath was coming normally. For now, he seemed safe. Miroku sat next to Sango and let her lean again him. They knew they needed to help Kagome, but their bodies ignored their desperate wishes to aid their friend. They fell into a black world of unconscious. _

_Kagome forced her body up and grabbed the spare first aid kit. She threw it open and got out the solution to clean his wounds and bandages. "Kaede, please get me some herbs to help clot his blood! He's losing too much!" She spoke with shear panic in her voice, tears still streaming down her face._

"_Aye, child. I have some here." The old miko brought over some bowls filled with crushed herbs. "I prepared some things for when ye returned form battle. Just in case."_

_Kagome gave her a smile in deep appreciation and respect. She stripped off Inuyasha's haori and white undershirt to reveal the damage underneath. She gasped in surprise and had to stop herself from retching at the grisly site. "Oh … InuYasha." She held pressure on the largest wound. InuYasha grunted. "I'm sorry, but I have to stop the bleeding." After several minutes she was able to get the bleeding under control and began putting bandages on with the herbs to make his blood clot. Kaede helped her wrap each wound. His arms and chest where completely wrapped in bandages. _

_Kagome reached for some medicine to relieve his fever. She found a few pills hidden. 'Thank goodness.' Kaede brought her a cup of water. She took it and lifted InuYasha's head just slightly. "InuYasha, you need to swallow these." He moaned. She placed the two small pills in his mouth and poured a small amount of water in. He gruffly swallowed the pills. She gently laid his head back down. Her fingers lingered on the edge of his face. She traced the outline with her finger tips. There was still dried blood in various patches. Her tears spilled yet again. "Please be okay, InuYasha. Please. If you die … I'll never forgive myself. You protected me. You always protect me. Please live." _

_InuYasha managed to half open his eyes. "T-Takes more than … this to k … kill me, wench." He gave a small smile and caught her hand. "Sleep, wench." He closed his eyes, but kept a hold on her hand. _

_Kagome smiled. He was safe for now. "Thank goodness." Kagome turned her head and looked at her comrades. Shippo just looked to be sleeping. Sango and Miroku were badly injured, but Kaede had already made them lay down and had begun to bandages their wounds. They looked like they would live … at least until morning. Kagome laid her body down next to InuYasha, hand still firmly held in hers. _

Kagome blinked as the memories burned her heart. She had no awoken until days later. Kaede had been changing their bandages several times a day. InuYasha seemed to be getting better, but his progress was so slow. Over the next two weeks he became more conscious and they realized the extent of Shippo's wounds. Sango had said he had come out of his hiding place that InuYasha had clearly told him to stay in. Being that InuYasha is his biggest influence, how could he not disobey? Sango told them that she had been knocked back by one of Naraku's demons that he had spewed out and in that split second another demon had reached over and slammed their claw into the little ones head. He went down right there and did not rise. She had feared he was dead. Sango blamed herself even though the others reassured her there was little she could do. Naraku had released so many demons to make the battle harder, they had their hands full fighting hundreds of them. Shippo remained unconscious even now. Kagome knew he was in a coma and only time would tell. Her heart broke a little more every time she saw him.

Kagome did not leave InuYasha's side for more than ten minutes to take a bath at all over the next month. Nearly two months after the battle and Kagome's body still ached. She had broken several ribs which were slow to heal. Her bruises were still a deep purple in some places. Some were finally yellowing. It still hurt to move, to think. She was still limping slightly on her left knee which she was sure she had ripped a tendon in. But, they would recover. The hole in InuYasha's stomach finally closed all the way. Though he had to be careful because it would still reopen. The rest of his wounds had healed. He had suffered a sever infection in his stomach wound. Kagome had woken up every two hours during the night to change it. He slept most of the months away. Only awake long enough to ask Kagome if she were okay. Finally he was able to sit up and eat ramen, even walk a bit. Another few days and he would be nearly recovered.

Sango and Miroku healed at the rate of Kagome. They did not receive a fatal wound, but their bodies were battered. Sango had fractured her arm, but it was almost healed. All in all, they were lucky.

The Kazanna in Miroku's right palm vanished. Finally, the curse that had claimed the life of his father and his father before him was over. Though he was filled with the relief that his life would be spared and if he had children they would not be plagued by this death sentence, there was still a flickered of mixed emotions in his eyes. He had lost his largest weapon, which left him feeling weak. As time drew on the feelings began to subside, only because there was no threat left to worry about.

Sango's body ached as the battle drew to a close. Before she saw InuYasha fall, she nearly wept with happiness. Finally, finally, she had revenged her fallen fellow demon exterminators. Her father and the others who had been slayed by the bewitched Kohaku could now let their souls rest in peace. What made this moment even sweeter was that Kohaku had managed to lived. A few week after Naraku had fallen, Kohaku found his way to the village. He held the jewel shard in his hand that had been controlling him for so long. Everyone thought when the shard was removed he would die, but it seemed that since the one who had bewitched the boy was dead he was given his original life back. Or maybe this was just a gift from the god's? Either way Sango accepted it as a blessing for all their tragedies. Kohaku's memories were almost all together other than some fuzzy lines. They were working through it one day at a time.

A large shiver finally pulled Kagome from her memories of the past few months. The temperature outside felt even colder. She noticed that tears had been spilling out from her eyes. She wiped them away immediately. The memories haunted her every day, but at least they had all lived. All that was left was for Shippo to wake up and for InuYasha to finish recovering. They still needed to go get the final jewel shards from Kouga soon, but they were waiting a bit longer.

Suddenly she felt a slight pressure around her shoulders. She looked down and noticed a red haori being placed around her. "Stupid wench, you're going to freeze out here. What are you doing?" The gruff voice of her hanyou made her glance up at him.

"I couldn't sleep. I kept having nightmares. I just felt like getting some fresh air... to clear my head. I forgot my jacket, I guess." She smiled and pulled his haori tighter against her. "Thank you."

"Keh." He sat down next to her. He was still a bit stiff and groaned a bit as he made the motion of sitting. They were sitting close enough to touch arms and legs. Kagome noticed their closeness and blushed only slightly.

"... So … what were your nightmares about?" He questioned. As he did, he could hear her heart begin to beat a little quicker and smell her anxiety rise. He immediately felt bad a twinge of guilt for asking. "Is it the battle?"

Kagome nodded. "Yeah … I know we are all okay, except Shippo …" tears began to well again at the mention of the kitsune, "The battle itself doesn't scare me. It was the after affects. I was so scared I was going to lose you. Your wounds were so bad. I didn't think I was going to be able to stop the bleeding. I really thought you were going to die." She allowed only a single tear to roll down her cheek. The thought of him dying was almost too much. Even if InuYasha never returned her feelings, even if he never took it past their occasional flirting, losing him would have killed her.

InuYasha sat there for a moment before her reached over and wiped her tear away. He had no idea what to do to make her feel better. "... well you didn't lose me, so stop crying!"

Kagome smiled. Arrogant as always. Usually this would have pushed her buttons, but not tonight. Tonight she was glad he was able to talk. "I'm sorry, I can't help it. It's just all finally hitting me I suppose."

They sat in silence for a while, just breathing in each others calming aura. Suddenly Kagome felt herself being pulled towards his chest. He held her to his chest, she gasped slightly, but relaxed and listened to his heart beating. It surprised her that something so simple could calm her so much. "It'll take a lot more than Naraku to kill me. I wasn't about to let him kill you anyways. I promised that I'd protect you, no matter what. Face it, Wench, you can't get rid of me."

Kagome felt like her heart skipped a bunch of beats as she attempted to stifle a gasp in her throat. Rarely did InuYasha say things like this. It always caught her off guard. "... Thank you, InuYasha. I'm so glad you're alright." Slowly her eyes drifted shut as sleep finally took its hold.

InuYasha squeezed her a little tighter, _'No … thank you, Kagome.'_

InuYasha felt the rays of the morning sunlight fall over his face. His eyes slowly fluttered open. _'__I guess I slept all night …'_ He looked down and noticed the girl that was still cradled in his arms. She had managed to squeeze closer to him through out the night. Somehow now she had wiggled in between his legs, wrapping her arms around his waist and resting her head against his chest. InuYasha immediately flushed a bright red at how close the two were. He tried not to move very much, attempting to not wake her. Listening close, he could hear her breath was still even meaning she was still asleep.

The feeling of intense awkward filled every inch of him. After running through all his options, he decided to very slowly pick her up bridal style and walk back to the village.

After a few dozen steps Kagome's eyes open just a fraction. "In-InuYasha? Whas goin' on?" She mumbled.

"Go back to sleep wench. It's still early. We're going back to the village." Before InuYasha even finished his sentence Kagome was already asleep once again. The rays of the sunlight were still not very bright, but it made her face shine. The light bounced off her hair and made it seem more chocolatey than usual. InuYasha swallowed hard as he thought about how pretty she looked. Luckily for him they arrived back at Kaede's hut. He quietly walked inside and placed Kagome on her bedroll. The others were still sleeping quite peacefully. Shippo was laying on the futon … looking the same as he had the past month or so. However long it had been now. He couldn't even remember, the days of recovery seemed to run together in his mind.

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**Author's Ending Note:** There you have it! First chapter up! I am hoping to make my chapters longer after this one. I was aiming for 10 pages (min.) each chapter. Failed on this one, but was close at 8 pages. Next one is sitting at 9 pages, so I must add some before posting. Hoping to have it up by next week. Aiming for 1 chapter a week, but I work full time so … we shall see!

_Next Time on The Elite Power_  
_Chapter Two: Normality _


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